Comic Books? Really? Well, maybe there's something to that...

[Jim Brennan]

One of the scripts I wrote has been making its way around LA LA land.  While it hasn't been picked up by a studio yet, it has been picked up by a comic book company called Red 5 Comics.

The process has just started, and has been pretty cool so far.  Some of the suits have let us know that while they really like the script and think it has great potential (I think they should just pre-record that, since they probably say it to everyone), they were looking for some sort of cross IP to help sell it, like a comic or a video game (It's a big-budget action film).  So the comic may help that.  Or not.

Anyway, the folks at Red 5 have been sending me layouts for feedback.  That has been a great process for me, not only because I enjoy the collaboration and it has been a boatload of fun to see somthing I wrote coming to life in a very effective way, but because it reminded me how close to movies comic books can be.

Granted, you would normally have the copy to to read, that would sort of explain what's going on.  But the layouts these guys have been sending me have no words, just pictures.  And it totally works.  You don't get all of the details, btu you do get the gist of what is going on. Seeing individual frames that were drawn, and specifically chosen to represent a section of a scene in a visual fashion is a great lesson for me both as a writer and a filmmaker.

It is in many ways, a high-end story board.

So try that.  Go get some comic books, but don't read them.  Just look at the pictures and the jot down what you think is happening.  Then go back and read it to see how effective it was visually in telling the story.

Then go back and look at one of your scripts and draw a few scenes.  No one has to see it, so it doesn't matter how well you draw.  Just represent the key moments in a visual way.  See how it stacks up (not in artistic skill, but in how effectively you can transplant your script to a visual medium.)

If you see you have drawn a lot of pictures of people talking, you should realize that either you have not maximized the visual potential of your work, or (more likely), you have written a script that doesn't have much visual potential.

Comic books don't move, but I think they may be closer to movies than scripts are in some ways.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

[Todd Bradley]

I've always regretted that I didn't get into comics the way teenage boys are "supposed" to.

I sometimes do a similar exercise to yours, Jim. But in my case, I'll watch Spanish soap operas. Since my comprehension of full speed Spanish is about 5%, all I really get is tones of voice and what I see on the screen. I may be 180 degrees off, but I think that most of the time I can figure out what each story is about. And when I'm wrong, I at least come up with a story that COULD work, given the emotions shown through the pictures.

[Jim Brennan]

Good point Todd. I've done that with other foreign language films when I can. Kurosawa's Ikiru is a great one because it isn't an action film. It's a drama. but the shot selection and camera work still effectively drive the bulk of the story without the subtitles. You don't get everything, but you get a lot.

All I dreamed of in my youth (until I discovered guitars) was being a comic book artist and writer. I devoured them. So, decades later I get to live out a portion of that dream...and these guys are waaaaaay better artists than I ever would have been.

[Haylar Garcia]

you can also just watch really good films with the mute button on.

[Todd Bradley]

Leave it to Haylar to boil it down to the simplest approach. :-)

However, how do I know it's a good film until I watch it at least once? And if I rent it on DVD, I definitely don't want to watch it without the sound on the first viewing. So for me, I only use the approach for stories I know I don't care about. That's why telenovelas are so perfect for me.

[Jim Brennan]

I think I made a post about that very thing after I watched The Blind Side on a flight with no sound. I think it's a great exercise to do.

Comics, of course, have to give you more information with less visual representation. So it makes you be even more precise about your choices. You also have the option to compare a series of panels at a glance to analyze those choices.

[Michael Haskins]

Or try to watch a movie with your 3 and 2 year olds running wild. Why can't they play in the other room?

[DON KRAUS]

Congratulations on the progress of this project... Can't wait to see it come to fruition. You certainly deserve it! I just hope they're cutting you in on the residuals from all the licensing.
So when do we get to work together again?
-Don

[Jim Brennan]

Thanks Don. Whose schedule do think will free up first...yours or mine, Mr Uberdirector!

[Mark Diestler]

This sounds like really good news to me - just about everything these days is based on existing material - sequels, books, comics, tv shows, whatever. Studios just seem to take less and less risk each year. So I wish you luck during this process and hope it all works out in the end. Even if it never gets made into a motion picture, it will come to life in another art form. I was a "comic nerd" for a number of years and have always loved the art form. Best of luck.

[Jimmy Drain]

I agree Jimbo, good luck with the comic approach for your script.  If you hear of any comic publishers interested in future work let me know.  I'm half way through with a DEAD ROSE comic series that looks quite good, will keep you updated and I hope the family is well:)

 

Jimmy

[Brian Keasey]

I once pitched several ideas to a producer in L.A. and one of the scripts was a comic book. He liked it and asked me to send him the scripts. What was really important to him was that I kept the scripts in a comic book format. He told me that reading the different format was exciting and separated the project from other more traditional screenplays. Just thought some fellow writers might find this interesting.